Field Hockey Headed to NCAA Semifinals for Fifth Time in Six Years
11/17/2004 7:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Nov. 17, 2004
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
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NCAA Tournament Championship
Kentner Stadium (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Fri. & Sun., Nov. 19 & 21, 2004
FRIDAY, NOV. 19
Semifinals
Duke vs. Michigan State, 4:30 p.m.
#3 seed Maryland vs. #2 seed Wake Forest, 7:00 p.m.
SUNDAY, NOV. 21
Championship game
12:30 p.m.
Terps Headed to NCAA Semifinals for Fifth Time in Six Years
• Second-ranked and third-seeded Maryland have reached the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight season and the fifth time in six years. The Terps, who are making their 10th national semifinal appearance in school history (including a semifinal showing in the 1979 AIAW Tournament), face No. 2 seed and two-time defending NCAA Champion Wake Forest, who is also host of the 2004 "final four," on Friday night, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m.
• Duke and Michigan State play the other semifinal game, prior to the Maryland-Wake Forest match, at 4:30 p.m. The winners of each semifinal contest move on to the title on Sunday, Nov. 21 at 12:30 p.m. That game will be broadcast on CSTV.
Road to the Final Four
• Maryland defeated No. 14 Delaware, 5-2, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in College Park. It went on to beat No. 7 American in the second round, 2-0.
• Second-seeded Wake Forest went on the road to Boston, Mass., and cruised to a 7-1 first-round victory over No. 16 Harvard, then topped No. 9 Northeastern, 4-2, in the second round.
• Unseeded Duke scored five goals to overcome No. 12 Old Dominion, 5-3, in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Blue Devils, who are ranked fourth in the final NFHCA Poll of the season, pulled the big upset of the tournament, edging top-seeded and No. 1-ranked North Carolina, 2-1.
• Also unseeded, eighth-ranked Michigan State outlasted Pacific, 2-1, in overtime to open the tournament in Ann Arbor, Mich. The Spartans also pulled off an upset of their own, defeating fourth-seeded Michigan, 3-2, to move onto the national semifinals.
Which One of These is Not Like the Other?
• At quick glance, this year's final four participants look like last year's final four. But take a closer look and three of the four 2004 semifinalists were semifinalists a year ago. Duke, Maryland and Wake Forest went to Amherst, Mass., for the final weekend. Michigan, who reached the 2003 semifinals, was upset in the second round by 2004 semifinalist Michigan State.
The ACC in the NCAA Tournament
• Three of the top four seeds in the NCAA Tournament were ACC teams. North Carolina, who lost in the second round, was the top seed. Two-time defending NCAA Champion Wake Forest earned the second seed and Maryland was the third seed.
• Three teams in the ACC advanced to the national semifinals. Maryland is the only team in the final four to advance after having hosted the first and second rounds of the tournament. Duke upset top-seeded UNC in Chapel Hill, N.C. Wake Forest traveled to Boston, Mass., despite earning one of the top four seeds in the tournament. The Terps, Blue Devils and Demon Deacons accounted for three of the four final four squads in the 2003 tournament.
• Duke and WFU are making their sixth NCAA Tournament appearance, while Maryland is making its 17th. The Terps have also reached the NCAA semifinals the most, advancing for the ninth time in school history and have reached the national semifinals for the 10th year (including 1979 AIAW Tournament appearance). Wake reaches the semifinals for the fourth year, making every final four since 2000, and the Blue Devils are one of the final four teams for the second time.
• Duke's appearance in the championship game last year was its first. Wake has been in the title game four times and Maryland has played in the championship game five times.
Terps in the NCAA Tournament
• Maryland is 30-14 (.681) in national postseason tournaments (includes 3-1 appearance in 1979 AIAW Tournament) and 27-13 (.675) all-time in the NCAA Tournament. Making their 10-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and 18th national championship appearance overall, the Terps have won the national title three times - 1987, 1993, 1999. Head coach Missy Meharg guided Maryland to 15 of those national tournament appearances, the NCAA crown twice.
• The Terrapins advance to the national semifinals for the 10th time in school history and the ninth time in the NCAA Tournament. Maryland has also claimed a spot in the NCAA title game five times, winning it all three times.
Terps vs. the Field
• Maryland is 8-5 this season against the field of 16. The Terps have posted two wins over Duke, including a 3-2 victory in the semifinal of the ACC Tournament. It also won twice against Delaware, including a first-round 5-2 victory. Old Dominion forced a split in the regular season after the Terps won the first meeting and the Terps avenged a 3-1 loss to American in the second round, topping AU 2-0. Maryland posted victories over Boston College and Michigan, while falling Wake Forest. North Carolina also defeated Maryland twice this season, including a 3-1 win in the ACC title game.
ACC Title Game=Magic 8 Ball?
• The ACC has long been considered on of the top field hockey conferences in the nation. With that said, being successful in the ACC Tournament requires NCAA Tournament-level play in order to capture a title. With the nation's top teams competing for the conference crown two weekends ago, it can be said the ACC title game could be a preview of the NCAA Tournament Final Four and championship games.
• In the 21-year history of the ACC Tournament, a tournament finalist reached the NCAA Final Four 23 times, including 2004 ACC finalist Maryland. Sixteen of those teams advanced to the national title game and nine times the NCAA Tournament Champion was an ACC Tournament finalist. Of the 21 teams crowned ACC Champion, seven also captured the NCAA Tournament title that same year.
About the Terps
• Maryland's potent attack is bolstered by balanced scoring as 12 different Terrapins have tallied at least one goal. After scoring an NCAA Tournament record five goals in the first-round win over Delaware, sophomore Paula Infante took over the team-goal lead with 14. Her 33 points is just one shy of the team lead of 34 by junior Tiffany Marsh. Marsh is also one goal behind Infante with 13.
• All-ACC honoree junior Lauren Powley, is the team's assist leader with 12, while freshman Janneke van Leeuwen has 11 as the two are the only Terps with double-digit helpers.
• In the cage, freshman Kathryn Masson has made the last eight starts and played in 13 games overall. She sports a team-best 1.21 goals against average with two shutouts, including a 2-0 blanking of American in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Sophomore Christina Restivo has a 1.29 GAA in 757 minutes logged. Together, the two have helped Maryland to nine shutouts and a 1.29 team GAA.
• The only team in the country to return two first team All-Americans, the Terps return the majority of a squad that reached the 2003 NCAA Tournament semifinal game while recording the program's fourth 20-win season. Going 20-4 overall, Maryland ended the year ranked fourth in the nation on offense, while fielding the fifth-best defense in the country. Ranked third in the final NFHCA Top 20 poll in 2003, the Terps return 15 letterwinners, including nine starters.
Last Time Out
• Maryland won its first and second round games to advance to the NCAA Tournament semifinals at Kentner Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C. Seeded third in the tournament and playing host, the Terps defeated No. 14 Delaware, 5-2, in the opening game then clinched its semifinal berth with a 2-0 victory over No. 7 American.
• Paula Infante scored all five of Maryland's goals on the way to breaking the single-game NCAA Tournament record. Her 10 points were also a new tournament mark. The Blue Hens scored first, but Infante rattled off three-straight goals to give Maryland a 3-1 edge at the break. She then added two more in the second period to break the NCAA Tournament mark. UDel tallied once before the end of the game, but was not enough.
• The Terps avenged a mid-season loss to American winning the second-round matchup. Senior Sara Silvetti tallied the game-winner on a penalty corner and junior Lauren Powley knocked in the insurance goal in the first half. It was all Maryland would need as it dominated the match, outshooting AU, 25-1, and out-cornering American. 10-2.
Series Versus...
• DUKE: Maryland leads the all-time series, 20-5, including two wins this season - once in overtime and in the ACC Tournament semifinals. The Terps met the Blue Devils for the first time in the NCAA Tournament last year, in the semifinal round. The Blue Devils got the better of the Terps, 3-1.
• MICHIGAN STATE: Maryland leads the all-time series, 3-0, but the teams have never met in the NCAA Tournament. The last meeting was a 4-1 decision in Columbus, Ohio, on Sept. 17, 2001. The Terps have scored four goals in all three games vs. the Spartans. The Terrapins are 10-1 in the NCAA Tournament vs. teams currently in the Big Ten. Their only loss was a 2-0 heartbreaker to Michigan in the 2001 championship game.
• WAKE FOREST: Maryland leads the all-time series, 16-6, but has lost the last five meetings. The only meeting in the NCAA Tournament was a 3-2 overtime Terrapin win in the semifinals in 2001.
Terps in the ACC Stats
• Junior Tiffany Marsh, who leads the team in points with 34, ranks ninth in the ACC in that category, followed by sophomore Paula Infante who ranks 10th in the conference with 33. After scoring an NCAA Tournament record five goals, Infante catapulted into the conference's top 10 in goals against average, ranking 10th in that category at 0.64 tallies per game.
• All-ACC performer Lauren Powley's 0.55 assists per game ranks seventh in the ACC and Freshman of the Year Janneke van Leeuwen is tied for eighth with 0.50 helpers per game.
• An All-ACC honoree, Infante is second in the league attempting 4.32 shots per game. Marsh and All-ACC standout Sara Silvetti are tied for 10th with 3.14 average shot attempts.
• Freshman netminder Kathryn Masson has averaged 2.43 saves per game which is sixth in the ACC and her 1.21 goals against average is second overall. Sophomore Christina Restivo's 0.29 shutouts per game is second in the league and her 1.29 GAA is fourth.
Six Terps Garner Regional Recognition
• The Maryland field hockey team was well-represented on the NFHCA Mid-Atlantic All-Region team which was announced this week, including four first-team honorees. Junior Lauren Powley and sophomore Paula Infante are repeat honorees on the first team. Senior co-captains Kristin Harris and Sara Silvetti were also named to the first team for the first time after being selected to the second team last year.
• Juniors Tiffany Marsh and Emily Beach were voted to the second team. It is the second-straight year Marsh has earned the honor.
Completing the Circle
• This senior class hopes to complete the circle at this weekend's championship. When these seniors arrived as freshmen in 2001, they helped the Terps to the NCAA Tournament championship game but fell just short of their goal, falling to an opportunistic Michigan squad, 2-0. Maryland dominated that game, outshooting the Wolverines, 20-6, and 10-1 in the second half alone. Colleen Barbieri, Kristin Harris and Sara Silvetti, a redshirt freshman that season, were all starters in that game.
• This class has not lost more than five games in a season, posting a 74-18 overall record so far in its four years in the Red, White, Black and Gold. They have helped the Terps to the NCAA Tournament Final Four three, the NCAA Championship game once and an ACC title. These Terps have time to add to their resume this weekend at the NCAA Tournament "final four".
Infante Breaks NCAA Record
• With her five goals in the first-round game vs. No. 14 Delaware, sophomore Paula Infante broke the single-game NCAA Tournament record for goals and points (10). Prior to Infante's five-goal outing, four goals had been scored by an individual six times in the 23-year history of the NCAA Tournament.
• Infante also tied the school record for goals in a game, tying Judy Dougherty's mark set in 1980.
Terps Earn All-Conference Honors
• Three Maryland Terrapins were selected to the All-ACC squad which was announced at the annual conference tournament banquet. Sophomore Paula Infante and junior Lauren Powley were named to the All-ACC team for the second-straight year. Playing in her final season in a Maryland uniform, Sara Silvetti earns ACC honors for the first time in her career.
• Infante was named to the All-ACC team last year as a defender and repeats this season, but was picked this time as a midfielder. An All-American midfielder for the last two seasons, Powley was named to the all-conference team as a midfielder, once again. Silvetti was selected as a defender.
All-Tourney Honors
• Senior Kristin Harris and sophomore Paula Infante earned all-tournament nods at the conclusion of the ACC Tournament. Helping the Terps reach the conference championship game, the accolade is the first conference honor for Harris. Infante was named to the team for the second-consecutive year.
Van Leeuwen Named Top Rookie
• Janneke van Leeuwen has impressive this season in her first campaign and has been named the 2004 ACC Freshman of the Year which was announced at the conclusion of the conference tournament. She becomes the first Terrapin since Colleen Barbieri in 2001 to earn the honor and is the fifth Terp overall to garner the award.
• van Leeuwen has played in every game this season, starting in 13. A tall midfielder, she is second on the team with nine assists. She has also scored seven goals on the season. Van Leeuwen was selected National Rookie of the Year by www.womensfieldhockey.com on Sept. 20.
Infante Named to National Honor Roll
• Sophomore Paula Infante's five-goals performance in the first round of the NCAA Tournament garnered national recognition when she was named to the National Honor Roll by www.womensfieldhockey.com on Nov. 15.
Harris, Silvetti Named to All-Star Team
• Maryland seniors Kristin Harris and Sara Silvetti were named to the NFHCA North/South Senior All-Star game which will be played at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday Nov. 20 in Winston-Salem, N.C. They are two of six ACC field hockey seniors who will be playing in the game.
Bonus Hockey
• Maryland has played five overtime contests this season, four coming in the last five regular season games. The Terps are 3-2 when extra time is needed. The Terrapins defeated Boston College, 3-2, in OT to open the season, then defeated Duke, 5-4, at home in the extra period. Maryland dropped two overtime contests in a row, falling to Old Dominion and North Carolina by identical scores of 2-1. But the Terps bounced back to top James Madison in the regular-season finale, 1-0, in the "bonus" period.
• The Terps 21-11 in single overtime games all-time.
Barbieri Moves Up Record Books
• Her goal vs. Duke moved senior Colleen Barbieri into a tie for seventh place on Maryland's all-time career goals list. Her 51 tallies equals Judy Dougherty who played from 1977-80. With her tally at Virginia, Barbieri became one of just eight Terrapins all-time to score at least 50 goals. Barbieri is a 2002 first team All-American and was named the 2001 ACC Rookie of the Year.
• Barbieri has also amassed 119 career points during her time in College Park. She is three points behind Nadine Bennett (94-96) who is ninth on the all-time list with 122.
Marsh Makes Move
• Junior Tiffany Marsh has jumped out in front of a balanced Maryland attack. She leads the team with 34 points, more than double her previous high and is second with 13 goals, five more than her previous personal best. This year, Marsh made the move from midfield to attack and has proven to be the right move for the Terps, who have 12 different players with a goal.
• Marsh has tallied at least a point in all but six games this season, recording a season-high four in the first game of the season vs. Boston College.
Taking it to the Beach
• Redshirt junior Emily Beach has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. Before coming to Maryland, she had not scored a goal in her two seasons with the Virginia Cavaliers. This season, she had tallied three goals, two of which were game winners. Her first-career goal was the deciding goal in the 4-3 win at Delaware. She also notched the game winner against James Madison.
Ciconte Earns ACC Weekly Nod
• Junior All-American Jackie Ciconte was named co-ACC Player of the Week on Oct. 11 after scoring a pair of goals, including the game-winning tally, in the 5-4 overtime win over Duke in a crucial ACC matchup. Ciconte is the only Terp this season to earn the honor. It is the second time in her career she has been selected ACC Player of the Week.
Masson Tabbed Rookie of the Week
• Maryland goalkeeper Kathryn Masson was selected National Rookie of the Week by www.womensfieldhockey.com on Oct. 11 after making nine saves and allowing just two goals in her first-career ACC start. She becomes the second Terp this year to earn the accolade.
Van Leeuwen Earns National Honors
• After scoring her first-career goal against Towson, freshman Janneke van Leeuwen went on to have a breakout weekend, leading the Terps with four goals on five shots and 10 points en route to National Rookie of the Week honors on Sept. 20. She gave the Terps a 1-0 lead over Princeton after the teams were deadlocked for 25 minutes. She went onto score another goal in that game and also dished out two assists. In Maryland's come-from-behind victory at then-No. 14 Delaware, van Leeuwen's tally tied the game at 3-3 late in the second half.
Terp Attack
• Boasting a balanced attack, 12 different Terps have tallied at least a goal. Sophomore Paula Infante leads the charge with 14 goals after scoring an NCAA Tournament-record five goals in the first round vs. Delaware. Junior Tiffany Marsh had been the team's goal leader for most of the season and slipped just behind Infante with 13 tallies. The Maryland offense notched at least three goals in 13 games, outscoring its opponents, 78-29, so far this season. The Terps' offense ranks fifth in the nation as of Nov. 15 at 3.42 goals per game.
• The Terps' high-powered from a year ago returns intact. Ranked fourth in the nation in 2003, Maryland scored 92 goals on the season with four players scoring at least 15 goals each. Sophomore All-American Paula Infante was the team's goal leader with 19, followed by senior Anja Boettcher with 18. Junior All-American Jackie Ciconte contributed 17 goals and senior Colleen Barbieri, a 2002 first team All-American, knocked in 15 on the year.
Defense!
• Jumping off the box score after the 2-0 win over Northwestern was the fact that the Maryland defense did not allow a Wildcat shot or a penalty corner for the game and it repeated that feat in the very next game vs. Towson. The Terps allowed just two goals from Aug. 29-Sept. 17, a span of seven games. The defense also put together a streak of 191 minutes of shutout hockey, which was snapped in the win over Drexel.
• Maryland opponents have been limited to four shots or fewer 13 times and one penalty corner or less nine times.
• With nine shutouts under its belt, the Terrapin defense is 11th in the nation as of Nov. 15, limiting opponents to 1.29 goals per game.
Nifty (Hat) Trick
• Sophomore Paula Infante and senior Anja Boettcher are the only current Terps to have scored a hat trick and each have it twice.
• Infante recorded her first-career three-goal outing in the 7-1 win at Princeton. She also had five tallies in the first-round game vs. Delaware to set the NCAA Tournament single-game mark.
• Boettcher scored her second-career hat trick in the 7-1 win over Drexel. She also had a hat trick when she scored three in the 7-0 victory at UMass last year on Aug. 31.
Captain Back on the Field
• Senior co-captain Kristin Harris was back on the field vs. Towson after missing the game vs. Northwestern on Sept. 12. Harris was hit on the wrist with the ball in the first half of the game against UMass. She was forced to miss the rest of the match then sat out the game against the Wildcats the following day for precautionary reasons, missing the first game of her career. At Princeton, Harris was back in the starting lineup at midfield.
• Harris is a two-time captain of the squad. She had played in every game since coming to campus, a streak of 73-consecutive games, before sitting out the match against the Wildcats.
Aye, Aye Captain
• Seniors Kristin Harris and Sara Sivetti are serving as team captains for the second-straight year. The two Pennsylvania natives have played in almost every game since 2001. Last year, both were named to the NFHCA Mid-Atlantic All-Region team.
Up Next
• The winners of both semifinal games move on to the title game to compete for the grand prize, the NCAA Tournament crown on Sunday, Nov. 21 at 12:30 p.m. The game will be televised on CSTV.
